Posts

[VIDEO] Turn Your Fundraising Event into the Best Party in Town

Here’s my challenge: can you turn your fundraising event into a lovely, fabulous party – maybe even the best party in town???!!

If you do – then you’ll raise more money, spread more buzz, gain more visibility for your mission and build greater community support.

You can capture so more attention in your community by making your gala, auction, or celebration into an amazing “party” – one that everyone wants to attend.

Party Tip #1: Make it a Party!

We fundraisers find ourselves in the hospitality business often, but we forget this.

So let’s learn how to be terrific hosts and give our guests a special experience.

Today’s post shares my Top 10 Tips for a Terrific Party – one that can be the best party in town.

These tips work whether you are staging a grand gala for 500 guests – or a private party in your home. They work for any social gathering at all.

Here’s how to throw a party that your guests will love.  Here’s how to throw a party that can raise visibility and tons of money too.

Party Tip #2: Greet ALL Guests Warmly.

Be sure to have a welcome committee right there at the front door. Give board members this job.

Don’t let your guests wander in by themselves, wondering what to do with themselves.

I think that how people are greeted right at the beginning helps set up a happy experience for them immediately.

Party tip #3: Offer Abundant Food and Drink.

People really do want something to eat and drink.

That’s an important part of the hospitality experience.

You don’t have to have fancy elaborate food – but you do want the food and drink to feel abundant – like you really care about your guests.

Be a good host if you want to have the best party in town!

And make food and drink accessible. No long lines!

Party Tip #4 Invite Younger Guests

I like to have all ages of guests at my events.

I find that older people – and yes – older VIP’s – enjoy so much being around younger people.

It’s fun to have all ages, and have a mix of demographics. It livens things up!

Consider giving younger people a special role such as hosts and hostesses, a greeting committee,  or promoting raffle tickets.

Sometimes that makes them feel more comfortable, since they have something assigned to do.

Party Tip #5 A Great Party has Low Light

It’s important to create a sense of ambience for your party.

If the overhead lights are blazing, it just feels like mid-day out on the street.

Turn down the lights to create a sense of enclosure, intimacy and fun.

Bright overhead lights can kill the party.

Party Tip #6 The Best Party in Town has a Good Venue

Nothing is worse than a venue that is too large for your crowd.

If your guests are huddled in one corner of a very large space, there’s not enough “enclosure” to create a sense of a party.

Instead the energy dissipates.

I’d much rather have a space that’s too small for my guests.

When everyone is slightly crowded together, you feel like everybody in town is there and that something is really happening!

Party Tip #7 When To Use Background Music

Your goal with your party is to create a sense of energy, excitement and fun.

Music can be an important component – but I am talking about background music that is not too loud.

My suggestion is to TURN UP the music at the beginning so that there’s energy in the air.

You want it to feel like a party is really happening right where people arrive.

Then turn it down when a lot of people arrive. They can create happy noise of their own.

Party Tip #8 Get Your VIP’s To Attend

So many people ask me – how do I get my VIP’s there?

My answer is to make it special for your VIP’s.

Tell them you have a certain place for them to sit, and you have some interesting people for them to meet.

But my favorite idea is to get a Party Van and go around and actually pick up some of your VIP’s to take them to your event.

What fun! How special for them!

Party Tip #9: Control the Program

Wow, how many times have we seen programs spiral out of control?

Speakers start droning on and on. There goes the party – as guests wonder how fast they can leave.:(

So you must, must, must control your program.

Use an emcee to introduce people and gently cut them off if they go on too long.

Remind every single speaker to be “charming and brief!”

Party Tip #10 Give Board Members Jobs To Do

Often board members themselves are not sure what their role is at an event.

So give them an assignment to be hosts: Their job is to make all  guests feel comfortable and welcome.

They can serve on the host committee at the front door.

Or they can take on general host duties – such as eliminating wallflowers.  If a guest is standing alone, a board member can go over and have a friendly chat with him or her.

You can also assign board members to VIP’s and make sure your special guests are enjoying themselves.

BOTTOM LINE

Turn YOUR own fundraising event into the best party in town, and you’ll be able to break fundraising records. I promise!

What are YOUR favorite party tips? Leave a comment and let us know!

9 Point Profitability Checklist for Your Next Fundraising Auction

,

There’s nothing like an experienced charity auctioneer’s coaching when it comes to a high-profit fundraising auction.

Sherry Trular of Red Apple Auctions, our auctioneer expert!

Sherry Trular of Red Apple Auctions, our auctioneer expert!

And I was quite impressed with the tips that Sherry Trular of Red Apple Auctions shared with us this week in our  Highly Profitable Fundraising Events series.

(It’s not too late to get all the materials, videos, and audios of this amazing series on how to raise the most money possible out of your fundraising events. )

Here are Sherry’s top 9 Points to help you raise the most money possible out of your auction.

1. You need a great sound system.

Your sound system can totally make or break both your live and silent auction.

Your auctioneer has got to be able to command the crowd for the live auction. If your guests can’t hear her, then how are you going to be able to sell anything?

If your silent auction is not getting the attention it needs –  your auctioneer can do some selling for you. She can remind people of certain cool items that are not getting bids.

Sherry told us about some Disney World tickets that didn’t have bids, and after she announced it – people were fighting to put their names down to bid!

2. You need terrific lighting.

Great lighting on your silent items is essential.

Use can lights to emphasize silent items.

Use can lights to emphasize silent items.

Think about your local shopping mall –  when store lights are down, you think they are closed.

You can’t see silent auction items if there is no ligthing.

Candlelight creates atmosphere – but are you there to raise money or not? J

 3. Run your silent auction like a store.

Sherry says, think like Target or Macy’s. You need to display your items like a store with different departments.

This is pure business and marketing.  You are selling stuff.  Lay it out to romance the buyers.

Your average return on each item will probably be about 50-65% of its market value.

4.  Run your live auction like a high end boutique – (not everyone shops there).

This is where your wildly expensive items will go. Think Tiffany’s or Saks.

These items are not for everyone at your event – they are for only a few.

A nice display with good sound for a live and silent auction. Courtesy of Sherry Trular.

A nice display with good sound for a live and silent auction. Courtesy of Sherry Trular.

You have fewer items but your average return on each item is usually 100-130% of value.

The more expensive the item, the nicer the display should be.

5. Focus on the live auction – that’s where your big profit really is.

Live auctions are FAR less work, more profitable. They require less check out and less set up. YAY!

AND they are often the center of the evening’s entertainment.

If you are not convinced, here are some real numbers that Sherry shared from auctions she has worked. A reminder – these auctions did have an experienced benefit auctioneer running the show.

Live vs. Silent auctions

 

6. Seriously consider an auction consultant or an experienced charity auctioneer.

Well, if I am going to spend money staging an event, I’ll always look at the Return on my Investment.Screenshot 2014-05-23 08.47.16

So if I think I can make 50% more money from my live and silent auctions, then I think spending money on an auctioneer who knows his stuff is a smart move.

7. Plan to highlight your “Fund a Need” in the live auction.

This is where you simply ask for donations to fund a special need at your organization. Often this is where you raise the most money.

With rare exceptions, a high profit auction event should include a Fund a Need.

Sherry says that smart nonprofits line up their bigger donors ahead of time. (Find someone to start the bidding at $5k for example.)

8. Use props to entice people to buy.

For example, provide sample of deserts if you are selling restaurant gift cards.

Provide a hand mirror if you are selling jewelry.  Make the displays interactive and you’ll sell more!

9. Add a “buy now” feature at 150% of the purchase price.

Sherry says this is a huge new trend.  It’s offers the chance for an instant purchase guaranteed at a certain price.

How to set up a guaranteed purchase.

How to set up a guaranteed purchase.

And it makes it really easy for people to spend money.

–       guys like it

–       it has a far easier checkout process

–       it attracts bidders thru psychology

Now, you have some great coaching for your next event!  I bet you can make it fun AND make tons of money.

Want to make your events highly profitable?

If you’d like all the tips from all the event experts, then you can still get the complete Highly Profitable Fundraising Events series with complete audios, transcripts (available soon), videos and powerpoints:

  • How to sell out your event
  • How to get the most out of your volunteer committee
  • How to nail high $$ sponsorships
  • How to set your event up for max ROI
  • How to set up an auction for max profit

If you think these will help you raise more money, then you can purchase and download them all right now to have in your own toolbox on hand for your next event!

COMMENTS PLEASE!

What are YOUR favorite auction tips? What did we miss???

Please leave a comment and let me know!

 

 

Create a Profitable Fundraising Event Plan

,

Do you have a solid fundraising event plan and timeline? One that will guarantee a solid ROI?

Can you throw the best party in town?

Can you throw the best party in town?

Fundraising events take a lot of time and energy.

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, fundraising events are here to stay.

They are part of the scene for many nonprofits.

Since you and your organization are committed to an event, let’s make sure it is the BEST event ever.

The Best Fundraising Event Plan is all about ROI

That’s the only reason you do events – to make money. If you want PR and community visibility, there are other less painful ways to generate good press.

Here is your path to a sane, efficient PROFITABLE event: a timeline that lays out what needs to happen when in order for it to all come together and make the most money possible!

You can download your Profitability Planning Timeline here.

Your Leadership

Who’s in charge of the event? What is the staff’s role and what is the role of your volunteers? Be sure you are absolutely clear on who has what responsibility!

Especially clear up who has what decision making authority – that will prevent conflict and hurt feelings down the road.

Nothing upsets a hard-working volunteer more than making a decision and then having it reversed by someone else. I know – it has happened to me!

Let's create this kind of excitement at your event!

Let’s create this kind of excitement at your event!

Your Volunteer Committee

I am all for a huge volunteer committee! Why?

Because they:

  • Bring their friends to the event! Your committee gives you reach into your community.
  • Are the “Social Stamp” of your event. Their names say whether the event will be full of fun people – or not.
  • Help bring in sponsors. Your committee’s connections open the door to many more sponsorship opportunities.

My tips: Have a big committee of folks who are well-known and well connected. (Well-liked  helps too!)

Bring in committee members of different ages, social and professional networks, regions of your community.

Don’t let your committee be a little social group – that will limit your organizaton’s reach via the event.

Your Budget

Early on, you need to set important financial parameters for your event:

Your financial goal – never hold an event without a goal. It helps everyone focus.

AND with the goal, it’s best to say “all proceeds from this event will go to a specific program.” For example:

  • All proceeds from this event will underwrite our programs for hungry kids on our community.
  • Or will help bring meals to lonely older people.
  • Or will help underwrite our fall performing season.

Be sure to put a limit on your event costs – invitations, postage, etc, or those may go out of control too!

Let's make it FUN for everyone - and highly profitable for YOU!

Let’s make it FUN for everyone – and highly profitable for YOU!

Your Sponsorship Committee

Getting those sponsorships is probably the most important thing you’ll do.

And securing bigger sponsorships requires tons of lead time:

  • You’ll need to enlist your committee members,
  • Draw up a prospect list and sponsorship benefits,
  • Decide who calls on whom,
  • Make your calls on the prospects,
  • Followup to close the “sale,” and
  • Get it all done in time to get on the invitation!

Your Venue, Food and Beverages

Your venue can make or break your event. Don’t let it be too large! Otherwise it will feel like there is no energy!

Be sure your food and beverages are ample, even if they are simple! You don’t want to be known as the party that ran out of food or booze.

Don’t forget to negotiate! You have more power than you think when securing a venue!

It's time to sit down for the auction!

It’s time to sit down for the auction!

Your Auction (Live and Silent)

If you are including an auction at your event – be careful – don’t go overboard with the silent auction stuff. Lots of tiny, cheap items are more trouble than they are worth.

I think the money is in the live auctions. But you need the crowd seated and pretty quiet and you need an auctioneer who understands nonprofit and charity appeals.

There are many, many decisions to make waaaaay ahead of time that can dramatically increase your event’s profitability!

Bottom Line: Create a Fundraising Event Plan that will bring in the ROI!

Be sure you make tons of money with your event.

iLeave me a comment and share your event tip with us all!